THE MEETING OF THE EDA BOARD HELD ON AUGUST 17, 2017, AT 6:00 P.M., AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS ****************************************************************************** The meeting was called to order by Thom Walker. Members present were Sharon Sandberg, Genny Reynolds, Troy Minske, Charles Snustead, and Victoria Hallin. Staff present were Jolene Foss (Comm. Dev. Director) and Mary Lou DeWitt (Comm. Dev. Assistant). Absent was Jules Zimmer. AGENDA ADDITIONS / DELETIONS: Foss would like to add to the Verbal Report, Item four, Comprehensive Plan Survey. HALLIN MOVED, SECOND BY REYNOLDS, TO ADD TO THE VERBAL REPORT, ITEM FOUR, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SURVEY. UPON THE VOTE, THERE WERE 6 AYES, 0 NAYS. MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 20 th, 2017 HALLIN MOVED, SECOND BY WALKER, TO APPROVE THE JULY 20 TH, 2017 EDA BOARD MINUTES. UPON THE VOTE, THERE WERE 6 AYES, 0 NAYS. MOTION CARRIED. UNFINISHED / OLD BUSINESS: A. Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Foss said that Deanna Hemmesch (Central Minnesota Housing Partnership) shared a letter with her from Minnesota Housing Finance Agency stating their proposal was found ineligible because the development does not meet a strategic priority. Hemmesch included their appeal letter to Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The appeal letter states that their application does meet the two strategic priorities; 1) Planned Community Development, and 2) Supportive Housing. Foss said she has requested a letter of support from Kurt Daudt (MN House of Representatives), Senator Andrew Mathews, and Sondra Erickson (MN State Representative). Erickson said she will do a letter of support. Foss has not heard from the other two. Reynolds asked if the City Council has done a letter of support. Foss said she could put together a letter of support from the City. She will ask Hemmesch if that would be helpful. NEW BUSINESS: A. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Sherburne County) Foss said this is the CEDS (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Plan) for Sherburne County. The grant requirement has to be written and submitted to the Federal EDA with the goals for CEDS. This is just a review of what the goals are and if you see any changes that need to be made, let her know. Foss said she had attended the meetings and this is a series of information from those.
Page 2 of 5 Walker said on number four of Broadband Objectives under Dig Once it would be nice if all the utilities are installed at the same time where they do not have to repeat digging. Foss will bring that back to them. Reynolds said Mille Lacs County is doing an inventory of what utility lines have gone where. Foss said it is a lot of objectives in this plan and let her know if they have any changes to this. B. Transportation Summit Timber Trails Transit Advisory Committee is hosting a Transportation Summit on September 25 th and 26 th at the Grand Event Center in Mora. This will be a two day planning event on Monday at 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Tuesday at 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Kanabec County received an initial planning grant from Easterseals Project Action Consulting, with the possibility for an additional $75,000 to implement a Transportation Action Plan for Kanabec and Mille Lacs Counties. The Transportation Summit is our opportunity to come together as a community and build a transportation Coalition. Our goal is to develop an Action Plan that improves the quality of life for seniors and those with disabilities by meeting their transportation needs. Foss said that Timber Trails Public Transit applied for a grant from Easterseals Project Action Consulting and received $125,000. They are inviting 80 people and are hoping that at least 40 come. Timber Trails provides transportation to the Senior Dining Lunch Program five days a week. The cost is $3 per day for round trip. The Senior Dining Lunch Program is unable to cover the cost of transportation and is asking the EDA Board if they have any suggestions. The City does contribute $2,500 a year to the Senior Dining Program to offset the cost of ridership. Foss said the ride passes will not be continued and they will be selling tickets instead. Snustead thinks the City should contribute more funds. Foss agrees that maybe we can contribute more or get contributions from other entities. Most of the senior rides are 5-6 blocks away from the dining center. Walker wondered if any churches have vans that could maybe support this. A letter of support from the EDA Board where we are not asking for funds, but supports the Senior Dining Program and the issues of lack of funds. Foss will draft a letter and send it to the EDA Board and they can make the changes. She will also email it to the City Attorney for approval. Foss will have the service organizations that will receive the letter listed. SNUSTEAD MOVED, SECOND BY HALLIN, TO APPROVE STAFF TO SEND OUT A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE SENIOR DINING PROGRAM AND TO CONTACT SENIOR DINING FOR DONATION INFORMATION. UPON THE VOTE, THERE WERE 6 AYES, 0 NAYS. MOTION CARRIED.
Page 3 of 5 C. Pine Tech Community College Mobile Welding Lab Pine Technical & Community College was awarded more than $329,000 through a Minnesota DEED Equity Grant, which aims to close the gender pay gap and encourage women to learn a nontraditional skill. This DEED funded project focuses on providing welding training to qualifying women in the region, providing participants with 120 hours of training, aligned to industry standards. This grant will fund training of 84 women this summer. The grant will help our regional industry partners by providing highly skilled workers into the manufacturing field. Pine Technical & Community College also intends to extend training to the regional workforce beyond the grant. They need support to purchase a Mobile Welding Lab to provide training in Pine City and throughout East Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. With the Mobile Welding Lab, they will be able to provide on-site training to manufacturing and industry partners. Pine Technical & Community College will invest $130,000 and raise more than $60,000 to purchase the mobile welding training center for this project and to provide additional welding training for years to come. Donations will be matched dollar for dollar through Minnesota State s leveraged equipment program. Financial partners will have the opportunity to have their logo displayed on the exterior of the trailer, above a work station inside the trailer and/or on a plaque recognizing contributions to the project. Foss said this was received from Pine Tech and the Mobile Welding Lab will have 12 work stations. The EDA does not have a budget for this, but they could make a recommendation to the City Council for support. This mobile lab would stop at high schools. Sandberg asked how much it would cost for the high school to bring it in. Foss does not know. Sandberg asked if they are going to charge the kids at the school. Foss did not know. She thought this was nice for the EDA to see this is available. Sandberg commented that it does not sound like they even have the trailer yet. Foss said they will need fund raising to get it. Hallin suggested that staff forward this to the Industrial Park. Foss will do that. Walker said he knows of a young lady who did this training and got a job now. Foss will see when and where they are having the trailers. Walker would like it more for men and women and not just women.
Page 4 of 5 Minske asked what the need for demand is for this. Foss will find out. MISCELLANEOUS: A. EDA Balance Sheet There was no Balance Sheet provided. B. Verbal Report 1) Alzheimer s Update Reynolds gave the update. There will be a community kick-off on September 26 th, 2017 at Sterling Pointe from 4:00 P.M. 6:00 P.M. Reynolds encourages caregivers or a person that has been diagnosed with dementia to attend. They will request from Princeton Wine and Spirits a contribution for the meeting. It will be a two or three month process of a survey, coming up with an action plan, and then implementing it. Hallin and Minske took a flyer to post at their work to advertise the meeting. 2. Chamber Billboard Foss showed the image of the advertisement for the Princeton Chamber billboard. Reynolds said she has driven by it and you cannot read it. She slowed down and all you cannot read the area in blue. It is too small and with too many words. Foss will have it fixed so it is readable. 3. Job Fair Update Foss said she spoke to Rebecca from Jobs and Services and told her there has not been much interest in a Job Fair. Crystal Cabinets is hiring about 25 and the School District has coaching positions and maintenance positions available. Reynolds said she spoke with Phillips Distilling Company (formerly United States Distilled Products) and they said they hire all the time, but no full time. Foss said that radio advertising would be an option. Wright County has started a radio program, the Big Q, and see if they would work with us on hiring. Minske said the target market for the Big Q is fifty years old and above so he does not recommend going with them for advertising.
Page 5 of 5 Foss said for those in Princeton to be in the St. Cloud Job Fair does not work well because of the commute. Monticello is going to have a job fair and maybe Crystal Cabinets and the School District could be in theirs. The Princeton Chamber of Commerce is updating their website and will have a job page. Foss will put the Chambers website on the community sign. Minske said he has been using Facebook to post job openings and sometimes boost it. It would be nice for Princeton to have a Facebook page for careers. Foss will work with the Chamber and create a Facebook page where they both go on it for updating. 4. Comprehensive Plan Survey Foss said the Comprehensive Plan Survey will go out with the Princeton Public Utility billing. Hallin said the first paragraph should read that the following ten questions will help us develop policies for the plan. Under item six, the final sentence should read, Is there any additional projects that the city should pursue? In item ten, it should read, Should the city engage business owners on the border of the city that have wells and septic to hook-up to city services. Foss will make the changes to the form. The survey will also be on the Princeton Public Utilities website. C. City Council and Planning Commission Minutes for July, 2017 The EDA Board had no comments. HALLIN MOVED, SECOND BY SNUSTEAD, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. UPON THE VOTE, THERE WERE 6 AYES, 0 NAYS. MOTION CARRIED. THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:01 P.M. ATTEST: Thom Walker, President Mary Lou DeWitt, Comm. Dev. Assistant